Can green be local

What do you do when you don't have a Whole Foods or Wegmans in your area? How green can you be? Organic fruits are relatively easy to come by, but in small communities, are there really places you can readily buy natural, organic skincare products that don’t have any of the chemicals of the big box brands? Or clothing made in the U.S.? Dog toys that aren’t toxic? Things people were paid a decent wage for?

Of course, there are a lot of online retailers (i.e. Nimli, greenloop) available to everyone. But these places are not like Zappos, where shipping is free.* If you’re like me, who varies in size depending on the brand, that involves a lot of guesswork. When things don’t fit, you have to pay more money to ship it back. I wind up paying $15 in non-refundable shipping costs, just to return a $50 item. So what does Rhode Island offer? I’m not talking about Providence where there’s probably more available, including a Whole Foods. I’m talking about small cities—Aquidneck Island, Jamestown, Narragansett. I keep asking people and they don’t really know. So here’s a couple of the best I’ve discovered thus far.

Green Grocer
where it is: 934 East Main Rd. Portsmouth, RI. 401.683.0007. what I like about it: location and staff. A great option for people who are at the other end of the island—whether they live in Portsmouth or are just hanging out there for the day. Pick up some organic fruits and cheeses and go picnic at Greenvale Vineyards, where they have a jazz and wine tasting Saturday afternoons, May through October. Green Grocer offers healthy, organic foods while supporting the local economy. Among other things, they sell fruits, vegetables, meat, and milk from local farmers. Additionally, the staff is friendly and helpful. And not in that annoying way that prompts me to say “I want to be left to my own devices.” They’re truly nice—the kind of friendly that puts me in a better mood.

Green Envy
what it is: eco-friendly boutique that sells jewelry, handbags, Soy Candles by Phebes, skincare (Farmaesthetic and Bryce lines), hair care products, home goods, and clothing for women, men, and babies. where it is: 223 Goddard Row Newport, RI. 401.619.1993. what I like about it: better for you in all respects. Green Envy isn’t your typical Newport boutique where, when you enter, the shopkeeper gives you an anemic “Hi,” and then returns her attention to the book she clearly finds more interesting than you. Too many shopkeepers aren’t interested in catering to the customer. They think it’s a privilege to let you shop in their overpriced store. Hopefully the recession will force them to be more conscientious of the customer, but in case that doesn’t happen, go to Green Envy. Rachel Lessne, the owner, is always friendly and willing to help. You’ll get a warm hello when you enter and she has a knack for offering up bits and pieces about the products without pestering you. When I notice a solar-powered purse, she’ll tell me who makes it, how it works—giving me all the information without the pressure to buy it. Everything in the shop is not only eco-friendly, organic, or fair trade, but reasonably priced. If something is expensive, it’s not because she marked it up extraordinarily; it’s because utilizing organic materials or fair trade practices costs that much. A great place for birthday and hostess gifts, plus it’s the best kind of shopping experience you can have: one that supports your health, the environment, the community, and your wallet.

I hope this sparks people’s curiosity to go explore Rhode Island’s green scene on their own and share what they find, good or bad, on Rhode Tripping.

*TOMS offers free shipping in the U.S. though I could not find on their website if that means free returns as well. Greenloop currently offers $5 shipping and free returns, according to their website.

Wake up and smell the coffee

This week, Adlai Wertman, a professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business, wrote a post about how the growing numbers of unemployed upper-middle class and rich people could be a good thing. These are highly-skilled laborers that could put their capabilities and resources to good use: volunteering and assisting charities. While not generating any monetary income, opportunities exist for these individuals to work out their professional muscles by giving back. A good idea that I’m sure most will embrace in theory but no one will try out or take on.

When we’re down, that’s the time we most need to work out, eat right, and get out of the house. But it’s also the time we’re least likely to. Whether we're talking about how to function in winter or during unemployment, these are the times we most need to bolster our mood, our emotional health, but the times we’re most likely to sulk, wallow, and let the situation exacerbate itself. We actually sit there and watch it grow, getting worse by the hour and day, knowing we need to act, but becoming increasingly paralyzed by our fears. I’m sure it would help, just like working out when it’s grey and cold outside can really mitigate the despair of winter, but people are going to come up with excuses why they can’t. “I don’t want to promise something I can’t keep. What if I get a job in three months?” “I can’t get sidetracked. I need to devote my time to searching for a job. In an economy like this, you need all the time—40 hours a week—to look for a job.” I appreciate Mr. Wertman’s point, but it is an ideal that will never be realized. It’s the quintessential thing you say to someone when they’re down and feeling overwhelmed by the state of things. You say, “Hey, this could be a good thing! You could turn it into something positive!” as they sink lower into the sofa cushions.